Second homes and local economic impacts in the South African post-productivist countryside

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Date
2010-11
Authors
Hoogendoorn, Gijsbertus
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Publisher
University of the Free State
Abstract
English: Issues concerning post-productivism have not seen any direct systematic research attention in South Africa. Nevertheless, it has recently been proposed that post-productivism, although difficult to discern in its early stages, has gathered sufficient momentum to warrant scholarly attention in the local context. This study develops this contention by focusing on the role of second homes tourism as a contributor to developing a South African post-productivist countryside using four study areas, namely, Rhodes, Greyton, Dullstroom and Clarens. It is argued that the initial development of productivist countrysides was linked to the apartheid regime’s concerns over white land ownership, black labour distribution and food security. It is then suggested that although the productivist countryside was under strain towards the final years of apartheid, the dismantling of apartheid agricultural policy and financial support for white farmers led them to seek out other economic opportunities. Movement towards consumptive leisure practices such as tourism and leisure functions has led to a diversification of farming practices resulting in a countryside in which agricultural production has decreased in importance. It is then argued that the stage was set for second homes to emerge as a new phenomenon in the countryside which further enhances the trend towards post-productivism. The project then provides an analysis of the various economic impacts of second homes in four study sites mentioned.
Afrikaans: Kwessies rakende postproduktivisme het nog nie enige regstreekse sistematiese aandag in Suid-Afrika geniet nie. Desnieteenstaande is onlangs voorgestel dat postproduktivisme, hoewel moeilik om in sy vroeë fases te onderskei, genoeg momentum het om vakkundige aandag in die plaaslike konteks te regverdig. Die studie ontwikkel hierdie bewering deur op die rol van tweedehuistoerisme te fokus as ’n bydraer tot die ontwikkeling van ’n Suid-Afrikaanse postproduktivistiese platteland deur middel van vier studiegebiede, naamlik Rhodes, Greyton, Dullstroom en Clarens. Daar word geredeneer dat die aanvanklike ontwikkeling van ’n produktivistiese platteland met die apartheidsregering se kommer oor wit grondeienaarskap, swart arbeidsverspreiding en voedselsekerheid verband gehou het. Daar word dan voorgestel dat hoewel die produktivistiese platteland in die laaste paar jaar van apartheid onder druk was, het die aftakeling van apartheid se landboubeleid en finansiële steun vir wit boere hulle genoop om ander ekonomiese geleenthede te soek. ’n Verskuiwing na verbruiksontspanningspraktyke soos toerisme en ontspanningsgeleenthede het tot ’n diversifikasie van landboupraktyke gelei, wat ’n platteland waar landbouproduksie se belangrikheid afgeneem het, tot gevolg gehad. Daar word dan geredeneer dat die weg berei is vir tweede huise om as ’n nuwe verskynsel in die platteland na vore te tree, wat verder die tendens tot postproduktivisme verhoog het. Die projek verskaf dan ’n ontleding van die verskillende ekonomiese invloede van tweede huise in die vier studiegebiede wat genoem is.
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Keywords
Second homes -- South Africa, Second homes -- Economic aspects -- South Africa, Rural development -- Economic aspects -- South Africa, Rural tourism -- South Africa, Thesis (Ph.D. (Geography))--University of the Free State, 2010, Small towns, Tourism, Local economic impacts, Post-productivism
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